The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of hay harvesting machine.
Generally speaking, the hay harvesting machine of the present development is of the type comprising at least one rake wheel revolving about an upright or vertical shaft. The rake wheel contains a plurality of tine supports equipped with rake tines. The tine supports are arranged to be rotatable about their lengthwise axis at a driven rotatable housing element mounted at the upright shaft so as to be rotatable. The tine supports can be brought from a first position, where they are operatively connected with a control track or cam which is non-rotatably connected with the upright shaft for rotation of the tine supports, into a second position where they are decoupled from such control track and can be secured against rotation. The tine supports can be arrested in each of both positions.
With a heretofore known hay harvesting machine of this type, as disclosed for instance in German Pat. No. 1,757,720, the tine supports extend approximately in radial direction away from the upright or vertical shaft. These tine supports, for swathing purposes, are operatively connected with a control cam extending at the same spacing about the upright shaft. The control cam possesses, in the direction of the upright shaft, an ascending and again descending portion or section for the purpose of lifting the rake tines. Owing to the space which is occupied by the control cam in the direction of the upright shaft, the structural height of the machine, and thus, also its weight is correspondingly increased. This increased weight requires an appropriate dimensioning of the equipment. Due to the relatively large structural height the use of this machine at the region of hedges, bushes and trees having low slung branches is rendered more difficult, if not made impossible.
A further drawback of this state-of-the-art proposal resides in the fact that with the tine supports uncoupled from the control cam there are required relatively complicated measures, in order to retain the tine supports in their decoupled position, and additionally, to secure them against rotation.